Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Stock: Insider William Brundage Sells 5,986 Shares

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) CFO William Brundage sold 5,986 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $218.74, for a total value of $1,309,377.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 54,908 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,010,575.92. This trade represents a 9.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Ferguson Trading Up 2.6%

Shares of FERG opened at $228.63 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $228.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $234.55. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $212.13 and a twelve month high of $271.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.56, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.14.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.23 by $0.16. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 37.24%. The business had revenue of $8.75 billion for the quarter. On average, research analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 21st were given a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 21st. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.83%.

Institutional Trading of Ferguson

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Compass Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the second quarter valued at about $42,000. Vega Investment Solutions grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 50.5% during the second quarter. Vega Investment Solutions now owns 277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 93.5% during the second quarter. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. now owns 296 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 26.1% during the third quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on FERG. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $261.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. UBS Group upped their target price on Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price target on Ferguson from $280.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $285.78.

Ferguson News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street remains constructive on Ferguson, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $285.78, implying considerable potential upside from recent trading levels. Several firms recently raised their targets, including Barclays, Bernstein, Baird and Wells Fargo. Ferguson analyst and market information
• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with earnings of $3.39 per share versus the $3.23 consensus estimate on revenue of $8.75 billion. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.89 per share, or $3.56 annualized, supporting a yield of roughly 1.6%. Ferguson earnings and dividend information
• Neutral Sentiment: Six Ferguson insiders collectively sold 27,327 shares worth approximately $6.0 million on October 12. The sellers included CFO William Brundage, COO William Thees Jr., VP Anthony Camposano and other executives. All transactions were executed under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, and the insiders retained meaningful holdings afterward. Ferguson insider sales report
• Negative Sentiment: The concentration of selling across senior executives could weigh on near-term sentiment, particularly as individual positions declined by roughly 6% to 25%. However, because the sales were scheduled in advance, they do not necessarily indicate deteriorating confidence in Ferguson’s business or outlook. SEC insider transaction filing

About Ferguson

Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG) is a North American distributor of plumbing and heating products, supplying professional customers across the residential, commercial, industrial and infrastructure markets. The company serves contractors, builders, remodelers, municipalities, industrial businesses and other trade professionals through branch locations, distribution centers and digital ordering platforms.

Its product offerings include plumbing supplies and fixtures, heating and cooling equipment, water and wastewater products, fire protection systems, waterworks materials, industrial piping and related maintenance, repair and operating supplies.